BACKGROUND The 'Perception of Anti-Coagulant Treatment Questionnaire' (PACT-Q) was developed to assess patients' expectations of, and satisfaction with their anticoagulant treatment. This questionnaire needs to be finalised and psychometrically validated. METHODS The PACT-Q was included in the United States, The Netherlands and France into three phase III multinational clinical trials conduct...

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have received widespread attention as potential chemotherapeutics in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and in photochemotherapy (PACT). Here, we investigate a series of sixteen ruthenium polypyridyl complexes with general formula [Ru(tpy)(N-N)(L)]+/2+ (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, N-N=bpy (2,2'-bipyridine), phen (1,10-phenanthroline), dpq (pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthr...

RNA-mediated gene silencing in human cells requires the accurate generation of ∼22 nt microRNAs (miRNAs) from double-stranded RNA substrates by the endonuclease Dicer. Although the phylogenetically conserved RNA-binding proteins TRBP and PACT are known to contribute to this process, their mode of Dicer binding and their genome-wide effects on miRNA processing have not been determined. We solved...

INTRODUCTION Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common condition and source of significant suffering, disability and healthcare costs. Current physiotherapy treatment is moderately effective. Combining theory-based psychological methods with physiotherapy could improve outcomes for people with CLBP. The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate the efficacy of Physioth...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Cultural competency education is an important and required part of undergraduate medical education. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether an online cross-cultural communication module could increase student use of cross-cultural communication questions that assess the patient's definition of the problem, the way the problem affects their life, their conce...

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudo membranous colitis in the developed world. The aim of this study was to explore whether Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT) could be used as a novel approach to treating C. difficile infections. METHODS PACT utilises the ability of light-activated photosensitisers (PS) to produce rea...

BACKGROUND The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated US health system to implement the patient-centered medical home. The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) initiative (implemented 2010-2014) aims to achieve team based care, improved access, and care management for more than 5 million primary care patients nationwide. OBJECTIVES To describe PACT and evaluate interim cha...

BACKGROUND Acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) is a syndrome of early, endogenous clotting dysfunction that afflicts up to 30% of severely injured patients, signaling an increased likelihood of all-cause and hemorrhage-associated mortality. To aid identification of patients within the likely therapeutic window for ATC and facilitate study of its mechanisms and targeted treatment, we developed an...